This invention relates generally to electrical connectors, and more particularly, to electrical connectors utilizing flexible printed circuits.
Electrical connectors are commonly used to interconnect electrical circuits or components to one another. As electronic packages become progressively smaller, the size of the connectors must also become smaller and in many instances, the traditional connector designs become inadequate. In particular, there is a limit to how small various components can be made. At the same time, electronic packages are requiring the electrical connectors to operate at higher speeds.
The aforementioned concerns have led to the increasing use of a flexible printed circuit (FPC) in the electrical connector. The FPC includes a row of contacts on an exterior surface of the FPC. The FPC is received within a housing of the electrical connector such that the row of FPC contacts engages a corresponding row of contacts within the housing. The contacts within the housing then engage mating contacts of a mating connector when the electrical connector is mated with the mating connector. Typically, the FPC is retained within the housing by a clamp which rotates into an engaging position after the FPC is loaded into the housing. Alternatively, the FPC is retained within the housing by an insert which is loaded into the housing to an engaging position after the FPC is loaded into the housing.
However, the use of these types of electrical connectors have some drawbacks. The use of the clamp or insert provides for uneven and insufficient loading of the FPC contacts and the contacts of the housing. For example, because the clamp or insert is a rigid and continuous member, uneven engagement between the FPC contacts and the contacts in the housing is achieved. Additionally, for additional compliance, the contacts utilized in these types of electrical connectors are relatively long and have a long signal path, thus making the use of these types of electrical connector in high speed applications difficult.
It remains a challenge to provide a low cost electrical connector that is easily modified for multiple applications, that provides a proper engagement force to each of the contacts in the housing, and that may be produced with contacts having a short signal path.